Despite the huge investment that has been made in attempts to control Acacia mearnsii there is little evidence to show that the spread of this species is receding. In South Africa Acacia mearnsii is regarded as one of the most problematic invasive species in wildlife conservation areas, where it is threatening ecosystem health. This paper examines the distribution of Acacia mearnsii in an area that is adjacent to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa. The results of the study indicate that the park is under threat from invasion by the species. This paper recommends the adoption of an integrated approach in which economic, social and environmental assessments are factored into eradication programmes.

Geoffrey Mukwada, University of the Free State Department of Geography Private Bag X13, 9866 Phuthaditjhaba: South AfricaWisemen Chingombe, University of the Free State Department of Geography Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866: South AfricaPhillip Taru, University of the Free State Department of Geography Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866: South Africa

The paper analyses three forest types belonging to the following associations: (1) fresh pine forest (Peucedano-Pinetum), (2) mixed pine forest (Querco roboris-Pinetum) and (3) oak-hornbeam forest (Tilio cordatae-Carpinetum betuli). They are located in north-eastern Poland. We compared the indicator value of three sets of data:(1) phytosociological relevés representing ancient forests (each type/association), (2) phytosociological relevés representing the youngest recent forests with the shortest regeneration period (each type/association) and (3) the ‘abstract pattern’ (representing the core of a specific type of plant community with a characteristic combination of species and clearly representing a separate type of ecosystem/association). Three sets of data together with their indicator values/numbers: light intensity (L), soil moisture (F), soil reaction (R), and nitrogensupply (N) according to the Ellenberg scale, constituted the basic material for comparative indicator analysis. The percentage shares of ecological groups of species have been calculated as well as the average indicator values for each of these within a data set. The results obtained show that the ‘abstract pattern’ can be treated as a good measure for the evaluation of ancient forest habitat conditions; it is clearly visible in the mean L and F indicator values of the Peucedano-Pinetum and Querco-Pinetum associations, and also in the N of Peucedano-Pinetum and R of Querco-Pinetum, which are closer to ancient forest than to recent forest. In all cases, we found ecological differences between the ancient and recent forests based on their indicator values. Statistically significant differences of the mean L indicator values between ancient forest and recent forest have been found in three types of forest community.

The vastness of the research on earthworm assemblages in agricultural lands focus on the comparison of agricultural treatments of different intensity. Consequently, spatial complexity of the landscape is less emphasised .Our study addresses this knowledge gap. The field study taken in West Pomeranian Lake District in Poland during four campaigns (spring and autumn) revealed that the mosaic of fields (MF) supported higher earthworm abundance than the similarly managed but homogeneous field (HF). Number and biomass of earthworm individuals both reflect the relationships with electrical conductivity, pH and in some situations also soil organic carbon and soil moisture effectively. We argue that autumn sampling is more preferable for biomonitoring.

The aim of the study was to identify and examine main directions of soil patterns, typology, SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) and Nt (Total Nitrogen) content in the topsoil changes that have occurred in kettle holes as an effect of soil erosion and anthropogenic denudation. Varied in the type of land use, three closed basins located in young glacial landscape in north-western Poland were investigated. According to the type of land use, the total area of soils with untransformed or moderately transformed morphology is different. Significant modifications have been taking place not only in mineral soils, which are located on slopes, but especially in soils of the bottom of sedimentary basins. In fact, most of primary soil properties and morphology have been replaced by new characteristics. The most intensive modifications of soil morphology and soil chemical properties occurs within croplands. Total area of colluvial soils can be treated as indicator of soil erosion processes intensity.

One of the most important factors influencing a city’s climate is the ventilation of a given urban unit. The most effective avenue of wind penetration into a built-up area is provided by uninterrupted urban greenery, thoroughfares and railway land radiating from the city centre as well as river valleys cutting through the entire city creating a unified system. These areas are called urban ventilation corridors or urban ventilation wedges. In Warsaw such an air exchange and regeneration system has been under development since the XIX century. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the rate and direction of land use changes in 1992-2015 and indicate the cause of current changes in the development of ventilation corridors in Warsaw. Visual interpretation of SPOT and LANDSAT satellite images and aerial orthophotomaps provided the data source for a database on the state of development of the ventilation corridors in time series. The analysis carried out established that the built-up area mostly spreads at the expense of agricultural land, which can negatively influence the way the parts of ventilation system operate. Moreover, different analyses were conducted in order to discover the cause of the changes, including analysis of the local zoning plans which were in force at the time in question.

The present article discusses difficulties in the practical application of spatio-temporal databases to geographical-historical research. Apart from undeniable assets of introducing database tools to historical studies, research practice implies also quite significant difficulties related to the unreliability, incompleteness or imprecision of historical information. These features, along with the subjectivism of historical inferential methods (their susceptibility to interpretation), should be taken into consideration when creating Historical Geographical Information Systems (HGIS). Thus assembled, historical information becomes easily accessible for secondary interpretation (source scheme). The critical scheme of any database, created jointly by historians, engineering ontologists, and data modelling specialists, should account for both the ‘expediency’ and ‘processuality’ of historical phenomena, as well as the complex nature of spatio-temporal objects (the ongoing dispute between endurantists and perdurantists).

The Western Bieszczady mountains are an example of a region of Poland whose population suffered extremely heavily from the effects of wartime and post-war migrations linked to political repression. In 1944-1947 andlater in 1951, from more than 100 villages in the region that had existed since the 15th and 16th centuries, approximately 90% of the total number of inhabitants were forcibly relocated – chiefly ethnic Ruthenians(Boykos). The scale in time and space, and the consequences for the landscape, of the natural and socioeconomic processes taking place there over the next 70 years have proved remarkable on even a European scale. The diversity of the former human activity, followed by a combination of abiotic and biotic renaturalisation processes and secondary human pressure, has led to the creation of unique spatial units. The main aim of this article is to address problems relating to the definition and classification of the contemporary landscape of theareas permanently abandoned by human populations in the Western Bieszczady, through the lens of selected conceptual perspectives of other researchers. Deliberations also covered the memory of the subject landscape in the material and information layers (structural and functional continuum, sustainability of spatial units, time in the sense of the historical evolution of landscapes).

The Department of Geomorphology and Hydrology of Mountains and Uplands in Kraków was established in November 1953 by Professor Mieczysław Klimaszewski. Its first task was to act as lead partner in detailed geomorphological mapping. Parallel with the mapping efforts, studies developed in two directions: (1) the evolution of relief during the Quaternary, based mainly on studies of sediments carried out in cooperation with other disciplines, where the greatest attention was turned to the role of the Holocene period before and after the Neolithic evolution; (2) present-day geomorphic processes based mainly on the monitoring of the circulation of water and mineral matter by experimental field stations. Joint studies on the palaeoenvironment and present-day processes played an important role in understanding the evolution of relief, in the forecasting of future changes, and in its practical evaluation. The concept of rational land use was developed based on the evaluation of the Carpathian landscape. Furthermore, our interest in the geomorphology of mountain areas pushed us to cooperate with countries carrying out studies in European mountains, to organise the Carpatho-Balcan Geomorphological Commission, and later to send expeditions to Mongolia (1974-1980) and India (since 1983), as well as to organise international commissions and projects related to INQUA and PAGES.

The objective of this study was to map traces of the past Carpathian landscape recorded in the microtopography in the chosen study area (25 km2) within the Wiar river basin. The area comprised two deserted villages (Borysławka and Posada Rybotycka) that were abandoned and afforested after forced displacement of Ruthenian highlanders in 1940s. Three groups of complementary research methods were used: remote sensing (airborne laser scanning – ALS as the main data source), analysis of archival sources and field survey. Sky-view factor (SVF) was applied as the main visualisation technique of the LiDAR-derived DTM for mapping purposes.The results demonstrated that there are numerous, well preserved earthworks created before World War II lying under the tree canopy, such as hollow ways, agricultural terraces, remnants of settlements, border mounds etc. They form a unique cultural heritage of former inhabitants that deserves to be protected.